A-League game of Sunday August 13th, 2000.

A-League game between Toronto Lynx and Rochester Raging Rhinos played at Varsity Stadium at 7:30pm.

Toronto Lynx (white socks and shirts, black shorts, names and numbers)

..........................................22 Theo Zagar
...........2 Marco Reda...6 Milan Kojic...3 Mauricio Vincello
15 Adrian Serioux...8 Brian Ashton...9 Nikola Vignjevic...4 Joe Mattacchione...11 Lloyd Barker
...........................16 Aaron Benjamin...20 Juan Arango

Subs:...1 Carmine Isacco (gk)...19 David Diplacido (mid/fwd)...18 Chris Pozniak (mid)...14 Edgar Bartolomeu (mid)...7 Lyndon Hooper (mid)...21 Laryea Adjetey (fwd)..........not listed 10 Nebojsa Vignjevic (mid)
head coach/general manager Peter Pinizzotto, equipment manager Carl Titus, medical co-ordinator Dr Robert Gringmuth.

Rochester Raging Rhinos (all dark green, white names and numbers)

..........................................24 Scott Vallow
...............2 Andrew Restrepo...4 Scott Schweitzer...27 Tim Hardy
10 Yari Allnutt...8 Tommy Tanner...7 Nate Daligcon...12 Mike Kirmse...11 Bill Sedgewick
.............................25 Dan Stebbins...20 Eduardo Sebrango

Subs:...23 Lenin Steenkamp (mid)...17 Dan Annan (mid)...58 Carlos Zavala (mid)...18 Jimmy Glenn (fwd)...6 Mali Walton (def)
head coach Pat Ercoli, assistant coaches Frank Odoi, head trainer Mike Katz.

Game Officials:...referee Frank Marciello, referee's assistants Glen Sharkey and Wayne Sharp, 4th official Amato Deluca. They were all dressed in red uniforms with black socks!

Tonight was Multicultural Night. Eight girls from the Gregor (?) School of Irish Dancing dance of plywood floorboards at midfield. The American anthem is canned music but opera singer Rosario D'Amico sings the Canadian anthem. A great voice but I don't think English was his first language as he didn't pronounce some words well. The ceremonial kickoff was taken by CHIN radio founder Johnny Lombardi who had to be driven to midfield as the years are catching up to him.

1st half:...game starts 7:44pm...Lynx defend north goal on this warm humid evening.
3 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic 20 yard shot from right is well over net.
10 min...RR Hardy injured Lynx Serioux near sideline.
11 min...Lynx Arango cross from right is caught by goalie coming off line.
11 min...RR Daligcon 35 yard shot after RR goalie's throw out is chipped wide left of Lynx goal.
14 min...RR Sedgewick 45 yard chip into box from left is caught by goalie.
15 min...Lynx Serioux long throw-in from right is partially cleared but Lynx Mattacchione (?) takes 30 yard rebound shot that's tipped away.
17 min...Lynx Serioux gets 25 yard shot blocked by defender, ball deflects to Lynx Nikola Vignjevic to his left and he rolls shot to left post that diving goalie pushes wide.
18 min...Lynx Ashton blasts cornerkick rebound from 25 yards well over net.
20 min...Lynx defender heads ball behind line to break up RR play in box.
21 min...RR Allnutt passes off to RR Sebrango on rush and 20 yard shot is blocked by sliding goalie.
22 min...Lynx goalie catches high popped up shot on edge of box.
24 min...Lynx goalie catches popped up header in box after cross from RR Allnutt in box.
25 min...Lynx Arango 30 yard freekick is over box.
27 min...RR Tanner 35 yard shot is wide right of net with Lynx Serioux injured on center line near sideline.
28 min...RR Tanner dekes defender but cross from right is blocked for corner by sliding Lynx Barker.
30 min...RR Hardy leaps on the back of Lynx Barker preventing his header. As this play was in the RR box, referee called a penalty kick.
30 min...RR YELLOW card...Hardy earned it for either the previous play or dissent about the penalty kick being awarded.
31 min...Lynx GOAL Nikola Vignjevic...Vignjevic rolled his Penalty kick shot into the left corner of net as RR goalie dived right.
32 min...RR YELLOW card...Tanner for whining at the official at the center sideline.
33 min...RR Daligcon cornerkick from left sails through Lynx box.
34 min...RR YELLOW card...Schweitzer for elbowing Lynx Arango on left sideline.
35 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic freekick from extreme left is headed out by charging RR Allnutt.
36 min...Lynx YELLOW card...Ashton for tripping RR Daligcon about 40 yards out in Lynx end.
39 min...RR Sebrango has in box shot blocked by sliding defenders after Lynx players can't clear.
40 min...RR Sedgewick rolls 25 yard shot wide left of post.
42 min...RR GOAL Stebbins...Stebbins heads 10 yarder to center of net beyond sprawling Lynx goalie. Assist given to Kirmse when Lynx clearance pass was deflected off the referee's foot to Kirmse who pushed through a high 15 yard pass.
43 min...Lynx goalie charges forward to catch ball into box.
44 min...Lynx Arango cross from right after deking defender and cross deflects off RR Restrepo's arm in box and referee calls Penalty kick.
45 min...RR YELLOW card...Goalkeeper Vallow for stalling for time, going out of net for water, stepping out to adjust his shorts so Lynx Nikola Vignjevic will get rattled.
45 min...Lynx GOAL Nikola Vignjevic...Vignjevic blasts Penalty kick into left side of net as goalie shuffles right.
46 min...half ends 8:30pm.

Halftime entertainment is Rosario D'Amico singing 'O Solo Mio' and other opera favourites in Italian.

2nd Half:...starts 8:46pm.
Halftime subs:...RR sub...Steenkamp replaces Tanner.
.......................RR sub...Zavala replaces Hardy.
.......................Lynx Pozniak replaces Vincello.
46 min...Lynx Reda head tips shot into box behind own line.
47 min...RR cornerkick from right is over players in box.
48 min...RR goalie misplays roller into box but has time to turn and pick up ball ahead of charging Lynx player.
56 min...RR sub...Annan replaces Sedgewick.
57 min...Lynx Barker can't get to forward pass pushed too far forward and slips for about the fourth time this game on the wet field.
59 min...RR Zavala 25 yard freekick hits somebody's foot in Lynx wall and ball rolls to goalie.
63 min...RR sub...Glenn replaces Daligcon.
64 min...Lynx GOAL Benjamin...Benjamin runs along edge of RR box and cuts an 18 yard shot to left side of net beyond flying goalie.
65 min...RR Tanner blasts 20 yard rebound shot well over net after Lynx block on a first attempt.
69 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic pushes through ball to Lynx Arango and his 20 yard shot is palmed over the bar by leaping goalie.
70 min...RR sub...Walton replaces Kirmse.
71 min...Lynx Barker heads pass to Lynx Arango but goalie grabs bouncing ball.
72 min...RR Annan cross from right is blocked by sliding Lynx Barker.
72 min...RR Zavala cornerkick from right is well over box.
73 min...Lynx Arango rushes on left, Lynx Ashton gets pushed pass and his 15 yard shot is blocked.
74 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic cornerkick from left is headed out by diving defender.
75 min...RR GOAL Allnutt...Allnutt gets ball at 25 yards and cuts shot from left to center of net that goalie only partially gets hand to and pushes ball into left corner of net. RR Jimmy Glenn earns assist for threading pass to him.
78 min...RR Allnutt gets drop backed cross from right and blasts ball from 20 yards over net.
79 min...RR player race along left and crosses into box over Lynx goalie and RR player puts ball in net after handling ball. A Lynx player is injured in the RR end.
81 min...Lynx sub...Nebojsa Vignjevic replaces Arango.
82 min...RR YELLOW card...Glenn for dissent after referee blew whistle when RR Stebbins blocked Lynx Barker from getting to the ball in Lynx end.
84 min...RR Schweitzer cross from right and RR Glenn twists leaping header from 10 yards wide right of goal.
85 min...Lynx Nikola Vignjevic freekick from left from 25 yards is blocked in box.
87 min...RR Schweitzer passes across from left, RR Annan 20 yard shot rolls wide left just in front of charging RR forwards.
88 min...Lynx Ashton rushes 40 yards through middle and 20 yard shot rolls to goalie.
89 min...Lynx goalie slides to left to stop ball in box that RR player had heeled forward.
92 min...RR Annan pushes ball from 30 yards through middle that goalie catches on bounce.
92 min...game ends 9:33pm.

Final Score:.....Toronto Lynx........3......Rochester Raging Rhinos....2...

This was the first Lynx victory in eight games. The Lynx had slipped to third in the Northeast Division but because the eight playoff positions in the Eastern Conference are also shared with the Atlantic Division, the Lynx are actually 10th in the standings.
***Oops, as pointed out to me in a few replies, the A-League guarantee the first three teams in each Division will make the playoffs so it looks better for the Lynx than I initially thought.***


Attendance was announced as 2805 on this warm humid evening.

A vocal group of Lynx fans easily countered the organized Rhinos fans chants. Half the Rhinos fans chant "Rochester", the others reply "Rhinos". When the Lynx were ahead near the end of the game, some Lynx fans sang "Oh it's awful quiet over there".

I don't know about last night's game in Rochester where Rhinos beat Lynx 2-1, but tonight Canadian international Martin Nash was neither listed as a starter nor substitute so hopefully he's resting up for the game in Mexico on Tuesday.

Rocket Robin
robing@clo.com

"Back to Lynx menu">

.

.